With rainfall declining by 89 percent this year, Iran has used cloud-seeding technology to create artificial rain in Lake Urmia.
What you should know
After months of drought in Iran, authorities have been spraying clouds with silver iodide and salt to make it rain. Using a technique called cloud-seeding, Iranian authorities have filled Lake Urmia in the northwest of the country with water.
According to international media, the cloud-seeding campaign was launched on Saturday using specially equipped helicopters. The technology was developed and operated by Advanced Atmospheric Water Technologies. According to the head of the organization, Mohammad Mehdi Javadianzadeh, the aim of the campaign is to increase rainfall in suitable weather systems entering the country.
Javadianzadeh said that suitable rain systems have not yet reached Tehran. He said that cloud-seeding could be carried out there as weak weather systems are also forecast in the western provinces. The program will continue until mid-May 2026. Iran plans to spray chemicals into the clouds using both aircraft and drones as needed.
Some say this method is an effective and affordable option for collecting water on the Earth's surface. It is being used to control storms, eliminate pollution, and increase water storage for hydroelectric power generation around the world. Cloud-seeding is used. Iran has only adopted this method to induce rain and store water in the country's important water resources.
The BBC reported that the probability of rain in Iran is very low and the reservoirs are almost dry. Last week, President Masoud Pejeskian warned that if there is not enough rain soon, Tehran's water supply will be disrupted and people will have to be evacuated from the capital. Iran's Meteorological Department said that rainfall has decreased by 89 percent this year compared to previous years.
